The following is a tabulation of some prior art that appears relevant:
U.S. PatentsPat. No.Kind CodeIssue DatePatentee5,531,3491996 Jul. 2Wojcik6,283,658B12001 Sep. 4Estevez8,888,391B22014 Nov. 18Teller
U.S. Patent Application PublicationsPublication No.Kind CodePubl. DateApplicant20100054842A12010 Mar. 4DeVito
Lip balms have long been used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Typically, the balm consists of a semi-solid wax material, in stick form, that is contained within a tube. A mechanism on the tube is twisted or otherwise moved to project and retract the balm stick from, and back into, the tube. The end of the tube from which the balm stick is projected typically has a detachable cap. The problem with this system is that it takes two hands to apply the balm. One hand is needed to operate the twist mechanism to project the balm from the tube, and the other to hold the tube. There is also the problem of the cap, which must be removed and held, or placed to the side, further complicating one handed application, and creating the scenario for a lost cap.
Attempts have been made to change the dispensing mechanism to facilitate one-hand usage. Devito, et al., U.S. Pat. App. No. 2010/0054842 A1, discloses a slide device that would permit the projection and retraction of a solid substance out of and back into the container. However, the mechanics in the Devito invention are complicated and costly to manufacture. Plus, the system can only work with a small proportion of balm stick relative to the size of the containment vessel.
Wojcik, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,349, issued Jul. 2, 1996, discloses an auxiliary cap for use on pre-existing containers as a substitute for an original cap. This auxiliary cap has a hinged top which can be opened and closed with the thumb, but there is still the problem of the device coming loose and getting lost. There is also the problem of accurately fitting the device to different tube circumferences. The Wojick device also fails to solve the problem of projecting the balm with one hand.
Estevez, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,658 B1, issued Sep. 4, 2001, discloses a non-detachable cap which can be opened by a sliding device, but it does not solve the projection problem, relying on the old-style twist mechanism from the bottom of the container. Also, the mechanism for popping the cap involves numerous parts, driving up the cost of production and increasing the risk of malfunction.
Teller, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,888,391 B2, issued Nov. 18, 2014, discloses a spherical lip balm container consisting of a base and detaching cover. The balm arches above the opened top of the base container, obviating any need for an ejection/retraction device. However, the top is detached, preventing one-handed use.